Contest Details

Stand Up for Youth Essay Contest

Among international human rights treaties, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of the most widely-accepted in history. But few young people know it exists, or understand its impact in Quebec and around the world. And yet, it was designed for them!

Thanks to financial support from Canadian Heritage, Éducaloi is holding an essay contest for Secondary 4 and 5 students in Québec high schools to help them discover this important international treaty. 

Students are invited to write an explanatory or argumentative essay on one of four themes at the heart of the Convention: freedom of religion, child custody decisions, work and school, and criminal sentences for teenagers.

Essays must be submitted to Éducaloi by 5:00 p.m. on December 16, 2011. Prizes will be awarded to students in each grade in both English and French schools. First-place winners will receive an iPad®. Second-place winners will receive $250 in cash.

The Stand Up for Youth contest is an easy way for teachers to incorporate a unique citizenship education activity into the secondary school curriculum. The contest raises awareness about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and is a step toward ensuring respect for the values embodied by the Convention.

  

Rules

Read the contest rules carefully.

Important Dates

Contest Starts:	September 6, 2011
Contest Ends:	December 16, 2011 at 5 p.m.
Winners Announced:	February 2012

Evaluation Criteria

Position is Convincing and Clear	4 points
Reading your essay, the Selection Committee should be able to easily: Understand your opinion Follow your train of thought See logic in your arguments See your ability to link your chosen subject to your personal situation
Use of Legal Information	4 points
Reading your essay, the Selection Committee should see evidence that: You read the section of Éducaloi’s website dealing with the legal theme you chose. You understand the legal principles involved, and can summarize them in your own words. You are free to use additional legal arguments if you wish! Just make sure you properly select, understand and cite your sources.
Originality	4 points
When the Selection Committee reads your essay, it should see: Novelty in your ideas Variety in your arguments Creativity in how you tackle the topic Other imaginative elements that capture the reader’s interest and are a bit off the beaten path!
Quality of Language	4 points
Whether your essay is in English or French, the Selection Committee should see evidence of effort put into the quality of the language: Good vocabulary Logical connections between ideas and paragraphs Ideally no spelling or grammatical errors Have your teacher read over your work if necessary.

 

Prizes